Career
Schwab's debut novel, The Near Witch, was published by Disney in 2011, however went out of print in less than two years. [8] Despite early setbacks, she chose to reprint it later in her writing career with little to no edits. It is a fairy tale romance following the main character, Lexi, in a small town where children start vanishing. After its reprint in 2019 by Titan Books [11] , critics have described it as both engaging and atmospheric. [12]
Vicious, published in 2013, is one of Schwab's most well-known works and follows characters Victor and Eli in a "masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers." [4] The Guardian called Vicious "a brilliant exploration of the superhero mythos, and a riveting revenge thriller". [13] Additionally, it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly , [14] which also named the novel one of its best books of 2013 for Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror. [15] The American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association likewise awarded it the top fantasy book in their 2014 Reading List. [16] In late 2013, the rights for a film adaptation of Vicious were bought jointly by Story Mining & Supply Co and Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions. [17]
In 2014, Schwab signed a two-book deal with Tor Books, [18] which included A Darker Shade of Magic and its sequel. Following main character Kell and exploring inter-dimensional travel, A Darker Shade of Magic was published in February 2015. It was widely well-received and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. [19] In 2017, she signed another book deal with Tor for Vengeful, the sequel to Vicious, as well as for a new trilogy set called Threads of Power, which takes place in the same world as the Shades of Magic series; and Black Tabs, a standalone novel described as an "homage to Blade Runner". [20] [21]
In May 2018, Schwab gave the sixth annual Tolkien Lecture at Pembroke College, Oxford. [22] In her lecture, she reflected on her first introduction to the genre, describing how she first encountered fantasy at age eleven through the work of J.K. Rowling. She described this experience as her "door" into imaginative and immersive literature, marking the moment she first fell in love with the other-worldliness and creative possibility of fantasy. [23] Schwab views fantasy as a powerful tool that allows both writers and readers to step beyond the boundaries of the ordinary world and to explore alternate realities, perspectives, and social structures. In her remarks, Schwab argues that fantasy writers "possess a special kind of magic" and the "ability to change the world." [23] They have the capacity to influence how readers view the world through the craft of imaginative writing, which can become a form of emotional transformation. I her writing she aims to use fantasy to subvert traditional conventions as well as challenges readers' assumptions and beliefs, and encourages other writers to do so as well. Schwab stated that one of her central goals is to create a narrative "door" into a new world for her readers, the same way that J.K. Rowling did for her. [23]
In 2020, Schwab joined the panel of Podcast Writing Excuses [24] to discuss book themes and other topics.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was published by Tor Books on October 6, 2020. [25] It was heavily praised and nominated for the 2020 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel . [2] Exploring themes of memory and identity, the novel has sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. [26]
Schwab has been the host of the podcast No Write Way with V. E. Schwab, in which she discusses the craft of writing with successful authors, since 2023. [27] She offers deep dives into both her own process as well as those of her guests. Notable guests she has hosted include: Halle Berry, John Stewart, and Sarah Gailey.
In June 2025, Schwab published Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, which topped the USA Today Bestseller List and The New York Times Bestseller List. [28] [29] The Chicago Review of Books stated that "In Schwab’s hands, even the well-trod territory of immortal bloodsuckers turns fresh and new." [30]
Themes and style
Themes
Power, identity, and moral ambiguity are all main themes which draw Schwab’s creative focus. Across her works, she consistently examines the dynamics of power and influence and portrays characters with uneven access to this power. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Schwab described her fascination with the ways individuals navigate systems of power and constraint in her fantastical worlds, noting that her stories often interrogate “who wields power, who is denied it, and what they are willing to do in response.” [31] This focus allows her fiction to engage in discourse of agency, resistance, and moral ambiguity, all of which she places in the foreground of fantastical settings.
Schwab also focuses on themes of memory, legacy, and autonomy. Critical analyses of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue highlight the novel’s focus on immortality, remembrance, and identity, portraying its protagonist’s bargain for eternal life as a metaphor for the human desire to be seen and remembered. [32] Addie's bargain grants her immortality without remembrance, forcing readers to question the value of memory and connection. It showcases how fantasy can grapple with universal human concerns. Scholars have observed that Schwab uses Addie’s inability to be remembered to examine existential concerns about significance and resilience in an indifferent world. [33] Addie's bargain serves as a narrative vehicle to examine existential questions and provides a lens through which the novel interrogates identity, purpose, and the human desire to leave a lasting imprint despite forces that erase or diminish us.
She engages deeply with the tension between connection and isolation, often depicting characters who exist in the margins of society or stuck between fantastical worlds. Her works commonly investigate the personal and social implications of existing outside dominant systems, highlighting the complexities of community, autonomy, and self-definition. Her public commentary emphasizes her interest in stories that challenge hierarchies, question power structures, and resist pre-existing stereotypes of identity. She has stated that fantasy literature provides a productive framework for examining such ideals as it allows for the construction of new worlds. In her Tolkien Lecture, Schwab argued that fantasy literature allows writers and readers to dismantle rigid structures and explore more inclusive forms of storytelling. [23]
Schwab’s area of expertise is fiction, and thus her writing often explores the relationship between fantasy and reality. She explores fantastical settings as both an escape from the real world and as a means of analyzing and questioning emotional experiences and societal structures. Scholarly examinations of the popular Shades of Magic series remark that Schwab grounds her fantastical world-building in strong character development, using the emotional lives of her protagonists to humanize otherwise outlandish or magical elements. [34] This approach enables readers to engage with complex magical systems and high-stakes conflicts through character-driven perspectives that foreground themes such as loyalty, identity, and moral ambiguity. Schwab's blending of the intimate and the imaginative reflects her broader interest in using fantasy as a mechanism for exploring human complexity.
Style
Schwab’s writing style is marked by lyrical prose and emphasis on emotional storytelling within the fantasy fiction genre. She focuses largely on character-driven storytelling, grounding their stories in unique and imaginative worlds. A comparative study of Schwab’s work alongside other recognized contemporary fantasy authors found that she grounds fantastical concepts in realism through nuanced characterization, enabling readers to connect with otherwise extraordinary settings and plots. [34] This technique allows readers to connect emotionally with characters as they navigate supernatural worlds and conflicts. This blend of imaginative fantasy and psychological depth has become a hallmark of her narrative style.
A few trademarks of Schwab’s writing style are nonlinear structures and interwoven timelines. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue exemplifies this approach as it follows the main character, Addie, across centuries while alternating between past and present events. This temporal fluidity allows for Schwab to heighten the emotional impact of key moments, as shifts in time reveal motivations, relationships, and character developments that would be less apparent in a strictly chronological structure. This also creates suspense for her readers who do not have access to all of the information at once. Her narrative structures are often crafted to intensify emotional resonance, using repetition, temporal gaps, and shifting perspectives to explore memory and identity. [32]
Reviewers often note that Schwab writes with a distinctly cinematic quality, using vivid imagery, and symbolic motifs to evoke tone and mood within her narratives. [35] She utilizes a poetic style in much of her writing, while retaining its clarity. In interviews, Schwab has explained that she prioritizes the “feel” of a scene when shaping her descriptions and dialogue, a process that contributes to the immersive quality of her worlds. [35] Her landscapes are fraught with sensory details and internal consistency, allowing them to function as believable and expansive environments. In this way, her emphasis on tone contributes to the immersive quality of her world-building which gives even the most fantastical of locations a strong sense of place.
